National Ag Day and the Family Dinner Table
Happy National Ag Day
I have been using this National Ag Day to reflect on why we as farmers do what we do. Sometimes it seems like farmers are fighting battles on all fronts. Conventional vs organic. GMO vs Non-GMO. Animal Ag vs Plant based. Low prices. Mother Nature. Rising costs. But I think one thing holds true for ALL farmers across the country. No matter what we grow or produce, we want to provide wholesome, nutritious foods for families to enjoy at their dinner table. That "dinner table" may look different for different people. Whether it is a traditional table, fast food in your car or dinner watching Netflix, all that food originally came from the hard work of a farmer.Those farmers shed their blood, sweat and tears to provide that meal. Getting up long before the sun was up and working long past the 5pm clock out. Planting acres and acres of land hoping it will rain so that they can grow a profitable crop. Tending to their animals every day with feed and water and caring for the ones in need. Being there to help a struggling cow through a hard labor or a new calf with its first bottle. Farmers do all this because they love working their land and raising their cattle. And above all, farmers want to provide families with readily available food that is some of the safest and most nutritious in the world. 
Our Family's Dinner Table
Below is a photo of my family's dinner last night. As I looked at the food, I thought about all the hands that helped prepare this meal long before the food ever ended up in our refrigerator or on our table. From beef producers to potato farmers to lettuce growers and even dairy farmers. Farmers from the USA and Mexico and beyond grew these vegetables and raised the cattle to create this dinner. Some of this food is conventional, some organic; some of it has GMOs, some is GMO-free. But the amazing thing to me is that I walked into any old grocery store in my little town and I was able to buy all of this. I never wondered if they would be out of something or something wouldn't be in season. I never worried for a second if the food was safe. And I had the choice as the consumer to pick what I wanted whether that was organic or conventional, GMO or GMO-free. As an American, I had the luxury of spending less than 7% on average of my household income on this food. That is the lowest in the world. This is all thanks to the hard-working farmers that do everything in their power to grow and produce the best foods for not only your family to enjoy, but their families too. 
Udderly in love with Ag,New Mexico Milkmaid